The Mall (What We Do in the Shadows)
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Episode 1
| "The Mall" | |
|---|---|
| What We Do in the Shadows episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | Yana Gorskaya |
| Written by | Marika Sawyer |
| Cinematography by | David A. Makin |
| Editing by | A.J. Dickerson |
| Production code | XWS05001 |
| Original air date | July 13, 2023 |
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Guest appearance | |
| |
"The Mall" is the first episode of the fifth season of the American mockumentary comedy horror television series What We Do in the Shadows, set in the franchise of the same name. It is the 41st overall episode of the series and was written by co-executive producer Marika Sawyer, and directed by co-executive producer Yana Gorskaya. It was released on FX on July 13, 2023, airing back-to-back with the follow-up episode, "A Night Out with the Guys".
The series is set in Staten Island, New York City. Like the 2014 film, the series follows the lives of vampires in the city. These consist of three vampires, Nandor, Laszlo, and Nadja. They live alongside Colin Robinson, an energy vampire; and Guillermo, Nandor's familiar. The series explores the absurdity and misfortunes experienced by the vampires. In the episode, the vampires try to lift Guillermo's spirits, unaware that he asked Derek to turn him into a vampire.
According to Nielsen Media Research, the episode was seen by an estimated 0.326 million household viewers and gained a 0.12 ratings share among adults aged 18–49. The episode received extremely positive reviews from critics, who praised the new status quo, performances and humor.
The vampires note a change in Guillermo (Harvey Guillén), but cannot fully see what it is. Eventually, Guillermo states that they abuse their powers in public, which by result is turning the borough dumber with their hypnosis. Privately, he confides to the documentary crew that he asked Derek (Chris Sandiford) to turn him into a vampire. Derek accidentally bit Guillermo's jugular vein and was scared of drinking his blood. Eventually, Guillermo drank Derek's blood, finally becoming a vampire.
Nandor (Kayvan Novak), inspired after reading I'm OK – You're OK, believes that Guillermo's behavior is due to the vampires forgetting his birthday, despite the fact that it is not his birthday. He gets the vampires to invite Guillermo to dine at a restaurant. They pick Red Rock Steakhouse, which is where Colin Robinson (Mark Proksch) works as a waiter. Guillermo arrives, just as they crack jokes about turning him into a vampire. However, Guillermo's attempts at joking about asking someone else to turn him into a vampire are met with disdain; the vampires state that a familiar asking someone other than his master would be the biggest humiliation for his master, with Nandor threatening to kill Guillermo and then kill himself if he ever does it.
As they leave, the vampires are astounded to discover a mall nearby. While Nandor and Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) are distracted by the offers, Laszlo (Matt Berry) follows Guillermo. Guillermo tells the documentary crew that despite being transformed 16 days ago, he still hasn't acquired any powers or weaknesses of a vampire. Guillermo is informed by an optician that his eye vision is actually improving. Despite not needing glasses, Guillermo asks to keep his glasses without the lenses to avoid suspicion. As he prepares Nandor for bed, Guillermo wonders about the consequences of his actions. He then goes to sleep inside a footlocker that Nandor gave him as a birthday gift.
Production
Development
In June 2023, FX confirmed that the first episode of the season would be titled "The Mall", and that it would be written by co-executive producer Marika Sawyer, and directed by co-executive producer Yana Gorskaya. This was Sawyer's seventh writing credit, and Gorskaya's 13th directing credit.[1]